Students raise money for service dog

Published: Friday, April 12, 2013 at 09:31 AM.

Area students are set to take the stage this weekend with song, dance, skits and more to raise money for children in need of service dogs.

The Wags for William Showcase will feature students from
Onslow
County
ages 8 to 18 on Saturday at
7 p.m.
at
Southwest
High School
auditorium.

Wags for William is a fundraising effort for 4PawsforAbility, an Ohio-based organization that provides service dogs to children with disabilities. Proceeds from the show will help 3-year-old William Dedmond, who suffers from generalized seizures and is in need of a seizure alert dog.

The talent show is hosted by Shay Marshburn, a devoted music lover and 18-year-old senior at
Southwest
High School
.

“William’s mother Melissa was my guidance counselor at Southwest Elementary and she told me about him and I wanted to help,” Marshburn said. “I’m going to school for music and I’m really involved with it. I thought a talent show is something that everyone enjoys coming to.”

Marshburn held an audition to find the show’s local talents, which include singers, actors, middle school band members, a guitar player and a beatboxer.

Area students are set to take the stage this weekend with song, dance, skits and more to raise money for children in need of service dogs.

The Wags for William Showcase will feature students from OnslowCounty ages 8 to 18 on Saturday at 7 p.m. at SouthwestHigh School auditorium.

Wags for William is a fundraising effort for 4PawsforAbility, an Ohio-based organization that provides service dogs to children with disabilities. Proceeds from the show will help 3-year-old William Dedmond, who suffers from generalized seizures and is in need of a seizure alert dog.

The talent show is hosted by Shay Marshburn, a devoted music lover and 18-year-old senior at SouthwestHigh School.

“William’s mother Melissa was my guidance counselor at Southwest Elementary and she told me about him and I wanted to help,” Marshburn said. “I’m going to school for music and I’m really involved with it. I thought a talent show is something that everyone enjoys coming to.”

Marshburn held an audition to find the show’s local talents, which include singers, actors, middle school band members, a guitar player and a beatboxer.

Marshburn’s goal is to raise $13,000 for 4PawsforAbility to help provide William and others with a dog. A raffle will be held during the show along with bracelets and T-shirts for sale.

“We’re trying to reach $13,000 for the dog, but anything over that will go towards another child who doesn’t have enough money,” Marshburn said. “Some of the people who have been on the waiting list have been on it for years. I hope everyone will have a good time and raise more than enough money for a dog so someone else can get one too.”

Tickets for the Wags for William Show case are $5 for adults, $3 for students and free for children under 4. All tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information or to make a donation, call 910-340-3449 or 910-340-3421.